King James Bible Dictionary

HIGH, adjective hi.

1. Extending a great distance above the surface of the earth; elevated; lofty; of great altitude; as a high mountain; a high tower.

2. Rising, or having risen, or being far above the earth; elevated; lofty; as a high flight; the clouds are high in the atmosphere.

3. Elevated above the horizon; as, how high is the sun? It is an hour high

4. Raised above any object.

HIGH o'er their heads a moldering rock is placed.

5. Exalted in nature or dignity.

The highest faculty of the soul.

6. Elevated in rank, condition or office. We speak of high and low; of a high office; high rank; high station; a high court.

7. Possessing or governed by honorable pride; noble; exalted; magnanimous; dignified; as a man of a high mind.

8. Exalted in excellence or extent.

Solomon lived at ease, nor aimed beyond

HIGHer design than to enjoy his state.

9. Difficult; abstruse.

They meet to hear, and answer such high things.

10. Boastful; ostentatious.

His forces, after all the high discourses, amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.

11. Arrogant; proud; lofty; loud.

The governor made himself merry with his high and threatening language.

12. Loud; boisterous; threatening or angry. The parties had very high words.

13. Violent; severe; oppressive.

When there appeareth on either side a high hand, violent persecution. etc.

14. Public; powerful; triumphant; glorious; or under divine protection.

The children of Israel went out of Egypt with a high hand. Exodus 14:8.

15. Noble; illustrious; honorable; as a man of high birth.

16. Expressive of pride and haughtiness; as high looks. Isaiah 10:12.

17. Powerful; mighty.

Strong is thy hand, high is thy right hand. Psalms 89:13.

18. Possessed of supreme power, dominion or excellence.

Thou, Lord, art high above all the earth. Psalms 97:9.

19. Great; important; solemn; held in veneration.

For that sabbath-day was a high day. John 19:31.

20. Violent; rushing with velocity; tempestuous; as a high wind.

21. Tumultuous; turbulent; inflamed; violent; as high passions.

22. Full; complete. It is high time to retire.

It is high time to awake from sleep. Romans 13:11.

23. Raised; accompanied by, or proceeding from great excitement of the feelings; as high pleasure of body or mind.

24. Rich; luxurious; well seasoned; as high fare; high living; high sauces.

25. Strong; vivid; deep; as a high color.

26. Dear; of a great price, or greater price than usual; as, to purchase at a high rate; goods are high

27. Remote from the equator north or south; as a high latitude.

28. Remote in past time; early in former time; as high antiquity.

29. Extreme; intense; as a high heat.

30. Loud; as a high sound. but more generally,

31. In music, acute; sharp; as a high note; a high voice; opposed to low or grave.

32. Much raised; as high relief [alto relievo.]

33. Far advanced in art or science; as high attainments.

34. Great; capital; committed against the king, sovereign or state; as high treason, distinguished from petty treason, which is committed against a master or other superior.

35. Great; exalted; as a high opinion of one's integrity.

HIGH church and low church, in Great Britain, a distinction introduced after the revolution. The high church were supposed to favor the papists, or at least to support the high claims to prerogative, which were maintained by the Stuarts. The low church entertained more moderate notions, manifested great enmity to popery, and were inclined to circumscribe the royal prerogatives. This distinction is now less marked, but not wholly obliterated.

HIGH day, high noon, the time when the sun is in the meridian.

HIGH Dutch, is the German language, as distinguished from Low Dutch or Belgic, or the cultivated German, as opposed to the vulgar dialects.

HIGH, noun An elevated place; superior region; as on high; from on high

On high aloud.

1. Aloft.

An eminence, natural or artificial, where worship by sacrifice or offerings was made (1 Kings 13:32; 2 Kings 17:29). The first altar after the Flood was built on a mountain (Genesis 8:20). Abraham also built an altar on a mountain (12:7, 8). It was on a mountain in Gilead that Laban and Jacob offered sacrifices (31:54). After the Israelites entered the Promised Land they were strictly enjoined to overthrow the high places of the Canaanites (Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:2, 3), and they were forbidden to worship the Lord on high places (Deuteronomy 12:11-14), and were enjoined to use but one altar for sacrifices (Leviticus 17:3, 4; Deuteronomy 12; 16:21). The injunction against high places was, however, very imperfectly obeyed, and we find again and again mention made of them (2 Kings 14:4; 15:4, 35-2 Chronicles 15:17, etc.).

A term used to describe places of worship
Genesis 12:8; Genesis 22:2; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 31:54; 1 Samuel 9:12; 2 Samuel 24:25; 1 Kings 3:2; 1 Kings 3:4; 1 Kings 18:30; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chronicles 16:39; 2 Chronicles 1:3; 2 Chronicles 33:17

Signify a place of idolatrous worship
Numbers 22:41; 1 Kings 11:7; 1 Kings 12:31; 1 Kings 14:23; 1 Kings 15:14; 1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 17:9; 2 Kings 17:29; Jeremiah 7:31

Licentious practices at
Ezekiel 16:24-43

The idolatrous, to be destroyed
Leviticus 26:30; Numbers 33:52

Asa destroys
2 Chronicles 14:3

Jehoshaphat destroys
2 Chronicles 17:6

Hezekiah destroys
2 Kings 18:4

Josiah destroys
2 Kings 23:8
Groves; Idolatry

The first distinct separation of Aaron to the office of the priesthood, which previously belonged to the first-born was that recorded (Exodus 28:1) ... We find from the very first the following characteristic attributes of Aaron and the high priests his successors, as distinguished from the other priests: Aaron alone was anointed, (Leviticus 8:12) whence one of the distinctive epithets of the high priest was "the anointed priest." (Leviticus 4:3,5,16; 21:10) see (Numbers 35:25) The anointing of the sons of Aaron, i.e. the common priests seems to have been confined to sprinkling their garments with the anointing oil. (Exodus 29:21; 28:41) etc. The high priest had a peculiar dress, which passed to his successor at his death. This dress consisted of eight parts: (a) The breastplate , or, as it is further named, vs. (Exodus 28:15,29,30) the breastplate of judgment. The breastplate was originally two spans long and one span broad, but when doubled it was square, the shape in which it was worn. On it were the twelve precious stones, set in four rows, three in a row, thus corresponding to the twelve tribes

each stone having the name of one of the children of Isr'l engraved upon it. (b) The ephod . This consisted of two parts, of which one covered the back and the other the front, i.e. the breast and upper part of the body. These parts were clasped together on the shoulder with two large onyx stones, each having engraved on it six of the names of the tribes of Isr'l. They were further united by a "curious girdle" of gold blue purple, scarlet and fine twined linen round the waist. [EPHOD; GIRDLE] (C) The robe of the ephod. This was of inferior material to the ephod itself being all of blue, ver. 31, which implied its being only of "woven work." ch. (Exodus 39:22) It was worn immediately under the ephod, and was longer than it. The skirt of this robe had a remarkable trimming of pomegranates in blue, red and crimson, with a bell of gold between each pomegranate alternately. The bells were to give a sound when the high priest went in and came out of the holy place. (d) The mitre or upper turbin, with its gold plate, engraved with "Holiness to the Lord," fastened to it by a ribbon of blue. (e) The broidered coat was a tunic or long skirt of linen with a tessellated or diaper pattern, like the setting of stone. (f) The girdle , also of linen, was wound round the body several times from the breast downward, and the ends hung down to the ankles. (g) The breeches or drawers, of linen, covered the loins and thighs; and (h) The bonnet was a turban of linen, partially covering the head, but not in the form of a cone like that of the high priest when the mitre was added to it. These last four were common to all priests. The high priest alone was permitted to enter the holy of holies, which he did once a year, on the great day of atonement, when he sprinkled the blood of the sin offering on the mercy seat, and burnt incense within the veil (Leviticus 16:1) ... The manslayer might not leave the city of refuge during the lifetime of the existing high priest. It was also forbidden to the high priest to follow a funeral, or rend his clothes for the dead. It does not appear by whose authority the high priests were appointed to their office before there were kings of Isr'l. After this the office seems to have been used for political rather than religious purposes. Though at first chosen for life, we find that Solomon deposed Abiathar, (1 Kings 2:35) and that Herod appointed a number of high priests, which may account for there being at least two living in Christ's time, Annas and Caiaphas. (Luke 3:2) The usual are for entering upon the functions of the priesthood, according to (2 Chronicles 31:17) is considered to have been 20 years, though a priest or high priest was not actually incapacitated if he had attained to puberty. Again, according to (Leviticus 21:17-21) no one that had a blemish could officiate at the altar. The theological view of the high priesthood does not fall within the scope of this work. It must suffice therefore to indicate that such a view would embrace the consideration of the office, dress, functions and ministrations of the high priest considered as typical of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as setting forth under shadows the truths which are openly taught under the gospel. This had been done to a great extent in the Epistle to the Hebrews. It would also embrace all the moral and spiritual teaching supposed to be intended by such symbols.

Aaron was the first who was solemnly set apart to this office (Exodus 29:7; 30:23; Leviticus 8:12). He wore a peculiar dress, which on his death passed to his successor in office (Exodus 29:29, 30). Besides those garments which he wore in common with all priests, there were four that were peculiar to himself as high priest-

1. The "robe" of the ephod, all of blue, of "woven work," worn immediately under the ephod. It was without seam or sleeves. The hem or skirt was ornamented with pomegranates and golden bells, seventy-two of each in alternate order. The sounding of the bells intimated to the people in the outer court the time when the high priest entered into the holy place to burn incense before the Lord (Exodus 28).

2. The "ephod" consisted of two parts, one of which covered the back and the other the breast, which were united by the "curious girdle." It was made of fine twined linen, and ornamented with gold and purple. Each of the shoulder-straps was adorned with a precious stone, on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved. This was the high priest's distinctive vestment (1 Samuel 2:28; 14:3; 21:9; 23:6, 9; 30:7).

3. The "breastplate of judgment" (Exodus 28:6-12, 25-28; 39:2-7) of "cunning work." It was a piece of cloth doubled, of one span square. It bore twelve precious stones, set in four rows of three in a row, which constituted the Urim and Thummim (q.v.). These stones had the names of the twelve tribes engraved on them. When the high priest, clothed with the ephod and the breastplate, inquired of the Lord, answers were given in some mysterious way by the Urim and Thummim (1 Samuel 14:3, 18, 19; 23:2, 4, 9, 11, 12; 28:6; 2 Samuel 5:23).

4. The "mitre," or upper turban, a twisted band of eight yards of fine linen coiled into a cap, with a gold plate in front, engraved with "Holiness to the Lord," fastened to it by a ribbon of blue.

To the high priest alone it was permitted to enter the holy of holies, which he did only once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, for "the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (Hebrews 9; 10). Wearing his gorgeous priestly vestments, he entered the temple before all the people, and then, laying them aside and assuming only his linen garments in secret, he entered the holy of holies alone, and made expiation, sprinkling the blood of the sin offering on the mercy seat, and offering up incense. Then resuming his splendid robes, he reappeared before the people (Leviticus 16). Thus the wearing of these robes came to be identified with the Day of Atonement.

The office, dress, and ministration of the high priest were typical of the priesthood of our Lord (Hebrews 4:14; 7:25; 9:12, etc.).

It is supposed that there were in all eighty-three high priests, beginning with Aaron (B.C. 1657) and ending with Phannias (A.D. 70). At its first institution the office of high priest was held for life (but comp. 1 Kings 2:27), and was hereditary in the family of Aaron (Numbers 3:10). The office continued in the line of Eleazar, Aaron's eldest son, for two hundred and ninety-six years, when it passed to Eli, the first of the line of Ithamar, who was the fourth son of Aaron. In this line it continued to Abiathar, whom Solomon deposed, and appointed Zadok, of the family of Eleazar, in his stead (1 Kings 2:35), in which it remained till the time of the Captivity. After the Return, Joshua, the son of Josedek, of the family of Eleazar, was appointed to this office. After him the succession was changed from time to time under priestly or political influences.

See Priest
Priest

HIGH-AIMED, adjective Having grand or lofty designs.

HIGH-ARCHED, adjective Having elevated arches.

HIGH-ASPI'RING, adjective Having elevated views; aiming at elevated objects.

HIGH-BLEST, adjective Supremely happy.

HIGH-BLOWN, adjective Swelled much with wind; inflated, as with pride or conceit.

HIGH-BORN, adjective Being of noble birth or extraction.

HIGH-BUILT, adjective Of lofty structure.

1. Covered with lofty buildings.

The high-built elephant his castle rears.

HIGH-CLIMBING, adjective Climbing to a great height.

1. Difficult to be ascended.

HIGH-COLORED, adjective Having a strong, deep or glaring color.

1. Vivid; strong or forcible in representation; as a high-colored description.

HIGH-DAY, adjective Fine; befitting a holiday.

HIGH-DESIGNING, adjective Forming great schemes.

HIGH-EMBOWED, adjective Having lofty arches.

HIGH-ENGEN'DERED, adjective Engendered aloft, or in the air.

HIGH-FED, adjective Pampered; fed luxuriously.

HIGH-FLAMING, adjective Throwing flame to a great highth.

HIGH-FLIER, noun One that carries his opinions to extravagance.

HIGH-FLOWN, adjective Elevated; swelled; proud; as high-flown hopes.

1. Turgid; swelled; extravagant; as a high-flown hyperbole.

HIGH-FLUSHED, adjective Much elated.

HIGH-FLYING, adjective Extravagant in claims or opinions; as high-flying arbitrary kings.

Highgate Resin. [See Fossil Copal.]

HIGH-GAZING, adjective Looking upwards.

HIGH-GOING, adjective Moving rapidly.

HIGH-GROWN, adjective Having the crop considerably grown.

HIGH-HEAPED, adjective Covered with high piles; as a high-heaped table.

1. Raised in high piles.

HIGH-HE'ARTED, adjective Full of courage.

HIGH-HEELED, adjective Having high heels.

HIGH-HUNG, adjective Hung aloft; elevated.

HIGHLAND, noun Elevated land; a mountainous region.

HIGHLANDs of Scotland, mountainous regions inhabited by the descendants of the ancient Celts, who retain their primitive language.

HIGHLANDs on the Hudson, sixty miles from New York. These afford most sublime and romantic scenery, and here is West Point, a fortified post during the revolution, and now the seat of one of the best military schools of the age.

HIGHLANDER, noun An inhabitant of the mountains; as the Highlanders of Scotland.

HIGHLANDISH, adjective Denoting high or mountainous land.

HIGH-LIVED, adjective Pertaining to high life.

HIGHLY, adverb hi'ly. With elevation in place.

1. In a great degree.

We are highly favored.

Exercise is highly requisite to health.

2. Proudly; arrogantly; ambitiously.

3. With elevation of mind or opinion; with great estimation; as, to think highly of one's performances.

HIGH-METTLED, adjective Having high spirit; ardent; full of fire; as a high-mettled steed.

HIGH-MINDED, adjective Proud; arrogant.

Be not high-minded but fear. Romans 11:1.

1. Having honorable pride; magnanimous; opposed to mean.

HIGHMOST, adjective Highest. [Not used.]

HIGHNESS, noun hi'ness. Elevation above the surface; loftiness; altitude; highth.

1. Dignity; elevation in rank, character or power.

2. Excellence; value.

3. Violence; as the highness of wind.

4. Great amount; as the highness of price.

5. Acuteness; as the highness of a note or voice.

6. Intenseness, as of heat.

7. A title of honor given to princes or other men of rank.

HIGHTH

HIGHT, noun [See Height.] Elevation; altitude; loftiness. [It is very desirable that this noun should be regularly formed from the adjective.]

Hight, to call, to promise, to command, etc., is a false orthography, from Saxon, hatan. It is obsolete. [See Heat.]

HIGH-OPERATION, noun In surgery, a method of extracting the stone from the human bladder, by cutting the upper part of it.

HIGH-PLACE, noun In Scripture, an eminence or mound on which sacrifices were offered. Before the temple was built in Jerusalem, sacrifices were offered to Jehovah by his worshipers, on high places; but afterwards such mounds were devoted to idolatrous sacrifices.

HIGH-PLACED, adjective Elevated in situation or rank.

HIGH-PRIEST, noun A chief priest.

HIGH-PRINCIPLED, adjective Extravagant in notions of politics.

HIGH-RAISED, adjective Elevated; raised aloft.

1. Raised with great expectations or conceptions.

HIGH-REACHING, adjective Reaching to a great highth.

1. Reaching upwards.

2. Ambitious; aspiring.

HIGH-REARED, adjective Raised high; of lofty structure.

HIGH-RED, adjective Having a strong red color; deeply red.

HIGH-REPENT'ED, adjective Deeply repented.

HIGH-RESOLV'ED, adjective Very resolute.

HIGH-ROOFED, adjective Having a lofty or sharp roof.

HIGH-SEASONED, adjective Enriched with spices or other seasoning.

HIGH-SEATED, adjective Fixed on high; seated in an elevated place.

HIGH-SIGHTED, adjective Always looking upward.

HIGH-SOUNDING, adjective Pompous; noisy; ostentatious; as high-sounding words or titles.

HIGH-SPIRITED, adjective Full of spirit or natural fire; easily irritated; irascible.

1. Full of spirit; bold; daring.

HIGH-STOMACHED, adjective Having a lofty spirit; proud; obstinate.

HIGH-SWELLING, adjective Swelling greatly; inflated; boastful.

HIGH-SWOLN, adjective Greatly swelled.

HIGHT, noun hite, or hith.

1. Elevation above the ground; any indefinite distance above the earth. The eagle flies at a great hight or highth.

2. The altitude of an object; the distance which any thing rises above its foot, basis or foundation; as the hight or highth of a tower or steeple.

3. Elevation of a star or other celestial luminary above the horizon.

4. Degree of latitude either north or south. In this application, the distance from the equator is considered as elevation. Latitudes are higher as they approach the pole.

Guinea lieth to the north sea, in the same height as Peru to the south.

5. Distance of one thing above another.

6. An eminence; a summit; an elevated part of any thing.

7. A hill or mountain; any elevated ground; as the hights of Dorchester.

8. Elevation of rank; station of dignity or office.

By him that raised me to this careful height.

9. Elevation in excellence of any kind, as in power, learning, arts.

10. Elevation in fame or reputation.

11. Utmost degree in extent or violence; as the highth or hight of a fever, of passion, of madness, of folly, of happiness, of good breeding. So we say, the hight of a tempest.

12. Utmost exertion.

I shall now put you to the height of your breeding.

13. Advance; degree; progress towards perfection or elevation; speaking comparatively.

Social duties are carried to a greater height--by the principles of our religion.

HIGH-TAPER, noun A plant of the genus Verbascum.

HIGH-TASTED, adjective Having a strong relish; piquant.

HIGHTH

HIGHWATER, noun The utmost flow or greatest elevation of the tide;

also, the time of such elevation.

HIGH-TOWERED, adjective Having lofty towers.

HIGH-VICED, adjective Enormously wicked.

HIGHWATER-MARK, noun The line made on the shore by the tide at its utmost highth.

A raised road for public use. Such roads were not found in Palestine; hence the force of the language used to describe the return of the captives and the advent of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:16; 35:8; 40:3; 62:10) under the figure of the preparation of a grand thoroughfare for their march.

During their possession of Palestine the Romans constructed several important highways, as they did in all countries which they ruled.

HIGHWA'Y, noun A public road; a way open to all passengers; so called, either because it is a great or public road, or because the earth was raised to form a dry path. Highways open a communication from one city or town to another.

1. Course; road; train of action.

HIGHWA'YMAN, noun One who robs on the public road, or lurks in the highway for the purpose of robbing.

Figurative; General references
Proverbs 16:17; Isaiah 11:16; Isaiah 35:8-10; Isaiah 40:3-4; Matthew 3:3; Matthew 7:13-14
Roads; Way

Though during the sway of the Romans over Palestine they made a few substantial roads for their carts and chariots, yet for the most of the time, as today, the Jews had nothing such as we call roads, but only footpaths through which animals walk in single file. These are never cared for, no repairs are made or obstacles removed. This fact brings into striking prominence the figure of repairing a highway for the return Of the captives, or the coming of the great King. On special occasions kings had roads prepared for the progress of their armies, or their own going from place to place.

ED.

HIGH-WROUGHT, adjective Wrought with exquisite art or skill; accurately finished.

1. Inflamed to a high degree; as high-wrought passion.